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The GN 1956 Empire Builder has arrived (3rd Rail/GDD)

J jeffdooOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

I haven't seen a topic regarding the arrival so I figured I would be the first.  I have also attempted a quick video in case anyone is curious (please be kind; the Handycam is showing its age and it's my first time putting anything on YouTube):

The engines arrived last year and have been waiting for the passenger cars.  I didn't have a choice and all four units are powered but in the end, based upon the weight of the train being pulled, I am happy all four are powered.  I still have to finish adding the included hoses, a few of them are being difficult.  The passenger cars arrived this afternoon and were perfectly packaged!  Only one of the boxes had any lose parts bouncing around and those were screws that came out of a baggie (the baggie contains the thumb tacks for both couplers and two screws).  I also have not added the separate hoses yet to the full dome car.  As you will see in the video, and I don't personally know how to solve it, the LED lights do not reach the end of the cars (just like with the El Capitan).  As for the cars, they are awesome!  I was not expecting the RPO style baggage car, and with the small size of the current layout this train as-is is too big, but I am planning for the future (famous words) and really wanted this model.  The Diner and Lounge cars both have unique interiors, the Lounge car clearly calling for some interior work to be done (counter top, standing passengers, etc).

My first task is finding the issue with the squeaking car (one of the sleepers).  And, pardon the background noise our son cooked the family dinner this evening, the layout exists in what was the dining room...

Thanks and enjoy!

- Jeff

Last edited by jeffdoo
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J jeffdooOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
Brewman1973 posted:

Wow! What a passenger train! That should provide you some inspiration to build that bigger layout.   

That bigger layout is years away (and we'll have to move) but in the mean time my wife allowed me the dining room (formerly our son's playroom) where I can experiment.  It has been decades since my last "real" train layout (HO) and it all was rekindled many years ago with the Polar Express set under the tree.  I do have mental plans for a good sized layout in either a future basement or large 2nd floor room, we'll see.....

- Jeff

J jeffdooOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
bob2 posted:

You are a candidate for conversion to 2-rail and wider curves - everything else is perfect.

I haven't given 2-rail much consideration, and the widest curve I can get away with right now is O-72, the inner loop is O-63 (with O-72 entry/exit).  If/When that future layout happens in a dedicated room I foresee much large curves.  Right now it's time to experiment and learn.....

- Jeff

J jeffdooOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
Pat Kn posted:

The Empire Builder is my favorite passenger train. Beautiful model. Thanks for posting.

Same here.... Scott just happened to announce these when we were travelling on the Empire Builder to East Glacier for a week of hiking.  While there I picked up and read "All Aboard! for Glacier" by CW Guthrie.  By the time we were on the Empire Builder back to Chicago the order had been placed with Scott.  One of my initial favorites about the set is seeing the names on the cars of places we've been and hiked in Glacier.

- Jeff

H Hancock52OGR Forum Member

Thanks much for the video. Regarding the interior lights, I have deduced from checking my own assortment of their aluminum cars that GGD is continuing to use a relatively short LED strip in their 21” models that is really not long enough for them as opposed to a15” or 18” car. You can replace it with a longer strip but that would need a power supply (GGD’s strips have the supply mounted on the strip itself). Why they have not upgraded to a longer strip I do not know but then I have never mentioned this point to Scott.

H Hancock52OGR Forum Member
AlanRail posted:

i dont find the end lighting to be a problem but i wonder if adding a thin mirror a few inches long between the seating on the corridor  floor  would reflect up enough light to illuminate the ends?

I think that if you were going to open up one of these cars (not an easy project) replacing the lighting would be more effective than trying to get a reflection. On the other hand, as the video shows the light strips when used in the domes are fine because they have round lenses that are quite effective (IMHO) in representing real light fixtures. In that respect they beat the lighting used in Lionel’s and MTH’s dome cars.

I have wondered about extending the strips with, say, and extra 6” strip of the kind used for HO cars but haven’t experimented with tapping into the GGD power supply.

Will EbbertWill EbbertOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
Hancock52 posted:
AlanRail posted:

i dont find the end lighting to be a problem but i wonder if adding a thin mirror a few inches long between the seating on the corridor  floor  would reflect up enough light to illuminate the ends?

I think that if you were going to open up one of these cars (not an easy project) replacing the lighting would be more effective than trying to get a reflection. On the other hand, as the video shows the light strips when used in the domes are fine because they have round lenses that are quite effective (IMHO) in representing real light fixtures. In that respect they beat the lighting used in Lionel’s and MTH’s dome cars.

I have wondered about extending the strips with, say, and extra 6” strip of the kind used for HO cars but haven’t experimented with tapping into the GGD power supply.

 That's the other issue. Opening these cars is VERY difficult. One of my GGD cars I hands not been able to get open in 3 years. All the screws are out but nothing will budge. 

H Hancock52OGR Forum Member
Will Ebbert posted:
Hancock52 posted:
AlanRail posted:

i dont find the end lighting to be a problem but i wonder if adding a thin mirror a few inches long between the seating on the corridor  floor  would reflect up enough light to illuminate the ends?

I think that if you were going to open up one of these cars (not an easy project) replacing the lighting would be more effective than trying to get a reflection.

 That's the other issue. Opening these cars is VERY difficult. One of my GGD cars I hands not been able to get open in 3 years. All the screws are out but nothing will budge. 

If I remember correctly (from my GGD SP Daylight cars), the end caps/diaphragm-vestibule assemblies come off by taking out two screws on the bottom. This enables you to take that cap off to get at the light strip and its track power connection. In my cars the light strip actually slides out. In these respects the GGD cars are similar to Lionel's aluminum cars based on K-Line tooling.

From memory (which I accept may be faulty) and looking right now at a GGD Daylight observation car, the similarity with Lionel's aluminum cars does not stop there. You may have to detach the underbody detail assembly in order to slide the interior assembly out, that assembly being (1) a metal frame that slides into channels in the bottom of the body shell and (2) the plastic interior details, mounted on a flat plastic sheet screwed to the metal frame. This is no mean task as the fitting of the frame in the channels is tight and in addition, the trucks may have to be detached from the frame to avoid them catching on the skirting as you slide the whole thing out. In my Lionel cars I found that applying some WD40 helped get the frame to move but with GGD paint I'd be wary of trying this except as a last resort.

There are other people who know a lot more than I do about the design and construction of GGD cars so maybe one of them can weigh in on whether there's an another and easier way to do this. I marvel at the fact that the factory assembled these cars without causing at least some paint damage!

 

 

TG The GN ManOGR Forum Member

These cars are very nice, but it is NOT a 1956 Empire Builder, other than the dome cars. The other cars are modeled after the 1947 Empire Builder; those cars were reassigned to the Western Star in 1951 and lost their “Empire Builder” letterboards. This is most apparent from the RPO and the observation car being in the “River” series instead of the “Coulee” series.  

If you have the dome-lounge car “PRAIRIE VIEW”, be sure the name is correctly spelled. Mine was not; about 5 cars slipped through with this error. 

sdmannsdmannOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERFORUM SPONSOR

If your one of the lucky 5 "Prarie View" Great Domes. New decals are coming. Just email us. There are 5 others that went out before it was discovered.

If you have one will be happy to change the decal, or

you can keep it as a "one of a kind" factory misspelling. So embarrassing. I never could spell Prarie.

Scott Mann 

GG1 4877GG1 4877OGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
Matt Makens posted:

Don’t knock it til you try Jonathan. They’re vermin that destroy the land and spread disease. They aren’t actually dogs they are big rodents. 

We have them in the desert, I just don't have them living in the city.  I suppose my attitude would be different then.  A good use for my .22 hollow points. 

At least the great dome wasn't labeled "Rodent View" and it was one of 4 names for that car. 

 

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The infamous Congressional Sample Set.  Bob Heil Spotted it first.

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